Faucet



(No Model.)

T..J. FOWLBR 8v P. FETT-1C.

FAUGET.

Patented June 16, 1896.

A TTOHNE YS.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OEETCE.

THOMAS J. FOW'LER AND FRANK FETTIO, OF GENOA, NEVADA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,127, dated June 16, 1896.

Application filed May 2, 1895. Serial No. 547,893. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that We, THOMAS J. FOWLER and FRANK Fnrrio, of Genoa, in the county of Douglas and State of Nevada, have invented a new and Improved Faucet, of which the following is a full, clear7 and exact de-4 scription. v

, Our invention relates to improvements in faucets, and particularly in beer-faucets, although the faucet may be used for drawing any liquid.

The object of our invention is to produce a simple faucet which may be instantly applied to a beer-keg or other receptacle, which is fitted air-tight in the keg so as to prevent the beer from getting flat, which may be conveniently operated to draw the beer, and which is arranged so that the foam and beer are, to a certain extent, separated and a clear glass of beer may be drawn.

A further object of our invention is to produce a separate faucet having a portion of it adapted to remain in the head of the keg, and which, by reason of this construction, enables one faucet to be used with many kegs and to be conveniently shifted from one to the other.

To these ends our invention consists 0f certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification', in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the faucet embodying our invention, showing it applied to the head of the keg and with the faucet-plug closed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the faucet with the plug open for drawing what is termed steambeer, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the faucet proper with the plug open for drawing fiat beer.

The faucet is provided with atubular bushing 10, which is adapted to screw into the head of a beer-keg, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and is, for the greater part of its length, smooth on its inner side and exteriorly screwthreaded, and near its outer end is enlarged, as shown at 11, and interiorly screw-threaded so as to at this point receive the enlarged portion 13 of the sleeve 12, which fits the bushin g,a suitable packing being inserted between the larger part of the sleeve and the shoulder in the bushing, and the sleeve is provided with an outer flange 14, which fits against the head ofthe keg. The sleeve 12 is provided on its underside and outer end with notches 15, which are adapted to receive a wrench or similar instrument, so that the sleeve may be convenientlyscrewed to place. Screwed into the inner end of the sleeve isaplug 16, which is provided vwith a wrench-head 17 at its inner end, and with an annular rib 1S, adapted to fit against the inner end of the sleeve 12 and effect a tight closure, and the outer end of the plug also terminates in a wrench-head 19, to which a wrench 8, having a spring member 9, may be applied, so that by turning the wrench the plug may be moved out or in as is necessary, according as to whether it is to be opened or closed, and the spring 9 by engaging the barrel-head will hold the plug in position'.

To further provide against leakage, the plug has a packing-ring 2O placed upon it and within the sleeve 12. The plug has, near its inner end, a series of radial ports 21, which deliver into a central bore 22, and this leads into a llarger or main bore 23, which is internally screw-threaded in order that the reduced end 24 of the faucet-barrel 25 may be screwed into it. The faucet-barrel 25 has a reduced end 26, on which is held a jam-nut 27, which is threaded at 28, to fit the threaded portion 24E of the barrel, and the jam-nut has a milled rim 29, which enables it to be easily turned and adj usted.

The barrel 25 terminates at its outer end in a ball 30, in which is vertically arranged a plug 31, whose side surface at different points of its length is differently inclined relatively to the axis of the plug. Thus, as shown, the lower end 31a of the plug is cylindrical, while the upper end 31h. thereof is conical, so that when the plug is raised (see Fig. 2) an annular space 31c will be formed around the upper portion of the plug, for a purpose to be stated hereinafter.

The plug is held in place by a nut 32 at its lower end and is provided at its upper end with the usual handle. The plug has a central vertical bore 33, which is adapted to con- IOO nect, by means of transverse ports 34E, with the bore 35 of the barrel 25, and this connects, as shown in Fig. 2, with the bores 23 and 22 of the plug 16, so that when the plug 1G is forced inward, as in Fig. 2, the beer can pass out through the ports 21 and the bores 22, 23, and 35 to the plug.

In using the faucet the barrel 25 thereof is screwed into the plug 16 and the jam-nut 27 is screwed up against the end of the plug, when by turning the device about the axis of the plug the latter will be turned inward to the position shown in Fig. 2, so as to open the ports 21, and the faucet is ready for use.

Since it may become necessary for repairs or other purposes to remove the faucet proper, and since the plug cannot be closed by turning the faucet, I apply the wrench 8 to the head 19 of the plug 16 before the barrel of the faucet is screwed into the said plug, so that by turning the wrench the plug can be turned outward to close its ports, after which the faucet proper can be removed.

The closed position of the faucet is shown in Fig. 1. Then it is desired to draw steambeer, the plug 16 is first brought into the position shown in Fig. 2, then the nut 32 is screwed down, as illustrated by Fig. 1, and the plug 31 is raised, as represented in Fig. 2. Owing to the particular construction of the plug, it being understood that the plugseat in the ball 30 is shaped correspondingly, an annular space 31c will be formed around the upper end 311 of the plug, and the beer will pass out from the bore 35 into the said annular space 31, thence into the bore 3a of the plug, and out through the bore 33 to the glass. As a portion of the foam and gas will escape upward around the plug, the improved faucet permits of drawing comparatively clear beer even when the pressure is quite considerable.

lVhen the beer has become iiat, the plug 31 is turned instead of being raised, and in this manner the bore 34 of the plug will be brought into registry with the bore 35 of the barrel 25, (see Fig. 3,) the faucet in this case operating like any ordinary faucet.

Then the beer has been withdrawn from the keg, the sleeve 12 is turned out of the bushing 10, which is left in the keg, and so when the keg is refilled the faucet may be easily screwed back to position.

The tubular bushing l0 is of special advantage, as it protects the head of the keg and permits the faucet and the sleeve 12 to be removed and reinserted without engaging and damaging the said head, which is made of wood. The sleeve 12 is securely held in the metallic bushing and may be readily screwed in or out. The particular construction of the bushing also is of great convenience in washing and pitching kegs.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A faucet provided with a bore which for a part of its length is of uniform Width, but tapers gradually in its remaining portion, and a longitudinally-slidable apertured plug set in said bore, the plug having a portion of uniform cross-section permanently engaging the side walls of the corresponding portion of the bore, and a gradually-tapering portion normally engaging the side walls of the bore at the tapering portion thereof, but arranged to move out of contact therewith upon longitudinal movement of the plug, substantially as described.

2. A faucet, comprising a bushing externally screw-threaded and provided with an cnlarged outer end internally screw-threaded, a sleeve constructed to enter the bushing, the sleeve having an end flange at its outer end and an internal recessed thread, a plug screwed into the sleeve from the inner end, the plug having a wrench-head at its outer end, an enlarged inner end to lit the end of the sleeve, a longitudinal bore and radial ports entering the bore, a faucet-barrel having a suitable drawing-off plug and a reduced and threaded inner end to enter the keg-plug, and a jam-nut held on the faucet-barrel and threaded to iit the reduced end thereof, substantially as described.

3. A faucet provided with a plug constructed to screw into the keg and having a liquidinlet, a sleeve surrounding said plug and provided with an enlarged end spaced from the plug, and a wrench fitting between said enlarged end of the sleeve and the plug, substantially as described.

THOMAS J. FOVLER. FRANK FETTIC.

VS/Titnesses:

J. R. JOHNSON, W. JOHN AnMsTRoG.

IOO 

